5 Cinema Highlights for September 2023

With the Summer Holidays coming to an end, we still have plenty for you to be excited about with our upcoming September film programme. 

We have an amazing mix of established directors that you’ll know and love and exciting debuting directors this month. 

The Old Oak 

At times hopeful, at times heartbreaking Ken Loach’s The Old Oak (Screening from Fri 29 Sep) delves into a community on the decline. As the only remaining pub in the village hangs on by its fingertips, the village is tested even further with the arrival of Syrian refugees. Nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival 2023 and reportedly director Ken Loach’s (I, Daniel Blake, Kes) last film, The Old Oak is a deeply moving drama which explores inclusion and seclusion within society.

Strange Way of Life

Director Pedro Almodóvar’s (Parallel Mothers, Volver) scintillating short starring Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke, tells the tale of forbidden love between a sheriff and an outlaw. Nominated for Cannes Film Festival’s Queer Palm – Short Film award, this romantic revisionist western is on our screens for one night only (Mon 25 Sep, 7pm) followed by a pre-recorded Q&A with director Pedro Almodóvar. 

Past Lives

In this semi-autobiographical directorial debut for Celine Song, Past Lives (Screening from Fri 8 Sep) tells the story not just of the past but asks the question what could have been? Reconnection runs through this complex drama, is it destiny or desire that has brought these childhood sweethearts back together? However, with Nora (Greta Lee) now married this reunion forces her to confront what she now has and what she lost decades ago. A romance spanning decades and thousands of miles, you won’t find a more beautifully crafted love story this year. 

The First Slam Dunk 

Winner of the Japanese Academy 2023 Winner for Best Animation Film, Director Takehiko Inoue’s debut film The First Slam Dunk (Screening Fri 1 - Thu 7 Sep and Sun 1 Oct - Thu 5 Oct), is based on his own successful manga and now the 5th highest grossing anime of all time. This tense and exhilarating film sews together a moving narrative of loss with a high stakes basketball game. The effect is breathtaking as our protagonist Ryota (Shugo Nakamura), fuelled by his love of basketball and memories of his late brother goes up against a team of unbeatable champions. A film that makes you feel part of the action and leaves everything on the court. 

Dead Man’s Shoes

In cinemas for the first time since its release in 2004, Shane Meadow’s edgy, iconic and influential Dead Man’s Shoes (Screening from Fri 15 Sep) is gritty and gruesome at times but with a powerful Paddy Considine performance we see how the love of a brother can lead to violent and vengeful vigilantism. With Richard (Considine) away in the army his brother is mistreated by the local gang. When he returns, we are faced with a chilling and crafted take on the morality of crime and punishment. A classic of British cinema that has influenced a generation of filmmakers.